To Live and Die - Chapter 4 / Radio Silence (1 of 2)

‘Dead sir?’ Bond queried, taking a long drag from his cigarette. He crossed his legs and slouched somewhat in the old chair. M lent forward.

            M nodded grimly. ‘We believe so. You see, he was on the Eastern Bloc of occupation, Stalin’s side, to see what the Russians were up to. He and his secretary were stationed in a disused building overlooking Checkpoint Charlie.’

            Bond stubbed out the cigarette in the ashtray and folded his arms. ‘But surely that’s the American’s responsibility. A job for the Central Intelligence chaps?’

            ‘Maybe, but the new PM prefers to not stand on ceremony with the sole word of an ally who missed an entire nation stockpiling arms against them only ninety miles off its own bloody waters.’ M mumbled, puffing away on his pipe longingly for a moment. ‘Especially when they lost a cache of weapons off the coast of Turkey.’

            ‘Really? I didn’t hear of it,’ Bond replied.

            ‘Nobody did, it was kept far from the papers although if they’re not recovered soon something will have to be done. But back to the topic at hand, 008 was investigating the recent movements of a certain Hans Schleicher, you know, the German beer magnate?’

            Bond lit up another cigarette and nodded. ‘I am aware of the man’s reputation yes,’

            ‘From gathered intelligence on him, and Baines’ reports, he’s in business with the Russians and as of recent been buying up plenty of land across the Soviet zone of occupation.’

            ‘Do we know what for?’ Bond asked.

            ‘Not in the slightest, that was what Baines was investigating. He ceased radio contact nearly four hours ago.’

M paused, his eyes boring into Bond’s for a moment before resuming the conversation. ‘I don’t suppose you’re busy as of current?’

            Bond thought back to the gorgeous brunette tossing around in his bedsheets. He smiled to himself for a brief moment. ‘Only a small personal matter sir.’

‘Good, because I already have you on the next flight to Berlin. Miss Moneypenny took care of the travel arrangements when she got off the line to you.’

‘How efficient of her,’ Bond snarled.

‘Quite, she relayed to me that you had just finished reviewing an old case.’

Bond raised an eyebrow and stifled a smirk that was beginning to spread itself across his cheeks. ‘Quite,’ was all he could muster.

‘Before you go 007, I had a man in Station E clean up that whole fiasco.